Sports are key to overall development of Women: Prerna Rajput

38 year old Prerna Rajput is pioneering active Women’s sports club in metropolitan cities of India and envisaging to take them to other smaller cities and towns of India in order to provide women with healthy sports atmosphere by providing them opportunity to play tournaments in diverse sports without any charges.
In an exclusive interview she talks to Rameez Makhdoomi and Farzana Mumtaz.
A bit about your venture?
Our active women’s sports club is a platform for all women especially for women to reignite the passion of sports playing in them. Our thrust is on women living in two and three tier cities in addition to major cities . There is no age bar and we engage both young girls and women to play diverse sports in a competitive spirit.
They perform and learn here by being with best of country.
Does your initiative help to relieve stress of women ?
The engagement here with sports in active manner gives women proactive life style which just not gives them relief from stress but also helps in maintaining health. Sports are key to overall development of women.

Are you planning to take this initiative outside main metropolis cities?
Yes it is our priority to go to smaller cities were women lack opportunity and provide them exposure via developing atmosphere of community sports and engage them in regular tournaments.
In cities like Mumbai there are regular tournaments going – Badminton, Handball, cricket etc., but in other smaller cities women are not aware about the criteria how to participate and we are going to reach them and bring best of talent out.

Is your active women sports club accessible to poor and middle class women as well?
Absolutely it is open to all as we don’t charge anything. It is the community we are creating wherein if you have potential come and play and join us. It is absolutely open for everyone.
How has been government response been so far?
We have not approached the government yet and we are four women who are brain behind this .We are empowering women via sports and once we reach that level required to approach Government we are hopeful of good cooperation and active role.
Are you hopeful your these active women’s sports clubs can produce future stars?
I certainly hope we are going to produce future stars by providing platform, honing skills and best exposure to untapped great talent.
Is patriarchy or it’s tight control an irritant to women participation here?
Not at all. The men who are onto sports or men who simply got know-how of our initiative are all welcoming and ready to lend all cooperation.

Women safety is an area of concern, anything you would do in this regard?
See training is not our forte but we will definitely encourage the tournaments in Sports ranging from karate to wrestling. Our forte as sports platform is organizing tournaments.
Is it open to all and how can amateur women benefit?
We are open to all women, the women who desire to play sports , who are already playing or those who had left but want to make come back can participate in our tournament and win trophies.
Our active women sports clubs have prominent women sportsperson playing and amateurs definitely learn a lot from them.
Your future goal?
We have started from Mumbai and want to reach every small city and town to provide active sports playing platform for women. We want to be hope of every house hold.
Any plans to come to Kashmir?
Security is slight area of concern .
The Jammu and Kashmir state is our prime area of concern and want to organize scores of sports tournaments for women.
Girls can see via your sports club active sports career?
I have made it clear that women who are actively or want to be actively involved can come and join us.
People who are already playing in our clubs are international or national players and veterans and young girls by participating in these tournaments get coached and trained a lot.
What motivated you towards starting these active sports clubs?
I have always been involved with sports actively like Badminton and volleyball . I had also seen women from smaller cities despite talented get lost in crowd and due to lack of facilities don’t continue. All these factors propelled to be a helping factor to such women who had faced roadblocks in Sports career.
How is the support of your near and dear ones?
My near and dear ones have supported me a lot and always stood behind me in what I do.
Your message to women?
My message to women is adopt sports as career or a daily activity.
Sports not only give you mental health but physical fitness and ability to think in a calm way.

How do you manage your clubs?
We manage it currently from our own resources. We are in talks with few for Colloboration.